Classic novel set in rural Nebraska / SUN 6-2-24 / Did a great job on, in modern slang / Strong poker holding, informally / "Great" child detective / Sleeve style with slanted seams / Titular character in a Menotti opera / fritas Cuban french fries

Word of the Day: PAPAS fritas (72A: ___ fritas (Cuban French fries)) —

Papas Fritas (typically stylized as pApAs fritAs) were an American indie rock band that formed in 1992 and released three studio albums before breaking up in 2000. The band's name is Spanish for "fried potatoes" (specifically "French fries" in American English) but is also a pun on the phrase "Pop has freed us," which they used as both the name of their music publishing company and their 2003 career retrospective. (In 2006 a German band also named Papas Fritas released a single called "Stehpisser," which is erroneously listed as part of the American band's discography in several online music stores.) (wikipedia) // In Spain, fried potatoes are called patatas fritas or papas fritas. Another common form, involving larger irregular cuts, is patatas bravas. The potatoes are cut into big chunks, partially boiled and then fried. They are usually seasoned with a spicy tomato sauce. Fries are a common side dish in Latin American cuisine or part of larger preparations such as the salchipapas in Peru or chorrillana in Chile. (wikipedia)

[Prized possession]

If you're going to call it "Typecasting," then all the clues should involve actors. You're "casting," after all. I'm fine with the fact that the puns all involve the ways that the names are "typed" (out)—the "type" part works—but the "casting" part, come on, they should all be actors, especially since you've gone ahead and made many of them actors already. NICCCCCCHOLSON, not LENNNNNON. I guess finding two double-S (i.e. double-$) Bills who were both actors would've been a very tall order (impossible, actually). Still, it was annoying to have roughly half the names be actors (which seemed to fit the title) and then have the other names just be generally famous but non-acting people. Other than that, I guess the theme was fine. Cute, even. I know that the overall solving experience was grim, though. Too much crummy fill, too much weak cluing, not enough exciting or interesting answers. I was groaning and eye-rolling a lot today, with Peak Groan coming with TV TAPE, what on god's green earth is that supposed to be?! TV TAPE???! TV TAPE. I'm just going to keep saying it, hoping that through iteration, it will magically turn into something, something real, something someone has actually said before. Just gruesome. Embarrassing. How do you talk yourself into TV TAPE!? (21A: VCR medium). You gotta exercise discretion. You cannot let your wordlist push you around. There's so much of this going around—constructors who think that just because it's in their database, it's good. No experienced constructor is ever going to try to palm TV TAPE off on you. Criminal. Editorial malpractice. But since it's been used before, it's been used since—four times this century now. Precedent is not enough of a reason to include something. Certainly not something this unpleasant. (Every prior TVTAPE clue was [VCR insert]—I can't tell if this clue is better worse or same—probably same, in that I don't care, I just want the answer to go away)